Johnson: Taliban Will Be Judged by Its Actions
3 Min Read
A day before the G7 is set to meet, the British Prime Minister says that the international community must "agree on a joint approach" on Afghanistan.
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British PM Boris Johnson
British PM Boris Johnson announced on Monday that "the Taliban will be judged by their deeds and not their words," in a warning ahead of the G7's virtual summit, during which he plans to call on his allies to increase their support for refugees and humanitarian assistance.
The British PM, whose country currently chairs the G7, said, "Together with our partners and allies, we will continue to use every humanitarian and diplomatic lever to safeguard human rights and protect the gains made over the last two decades."
He stressed that the first priority should be "to complete the evacuation of our citizens and those Afghans who have assisted our efforts over the last 20 years," adding that "it's vital that we come together as an international community and agree on a joint approach for the longer term."
Johnson clarified that the virtual summit will be held on Tuesday afternoon and will include the leaders of the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. The Secretary Generals of NATO and the UN will also take part in the summit.
The statement did not mention whether Johnson will call on the United States to push back its final deadline for its withdrawal from Afghanistan beyond August 31st, which is a demand British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace had expressed on Monday.
These statements were met with a stern response from the "Taliban" that denoted the postponement of the withdrawal a "red line", warning of the "consequences" of such a decision.
On his part, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announced that he supports sanctioning the "Taliban", declaring that "Canada already recognizes, and has for long, that the Taliban are terrorists and harbor terrorists. That's why they're on the terrorist list. So, yes, we can talk about sanctions."
He added that he was "looking forward" to a conversation with fellow "G7 leaders as we look at what more we can do," referring to humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.
Two diplomatic sources told Reuters that the G7 are "expected to pledge unity on whether or not to officially recognize or sanction the Taliban."
US President Joe Biden had left the door open for the postponement of the withdrawal from Afghanistan if the evacuation is not done by then.
Biden and Johnson agreed on Monday "to continue working together to ensure those who are eligible to leave are able to, including after the initial phase of the evacuation has ended," according to a Downing Street Spokesperson.
